


Hearts Don't Break Around Here

by LostInAdmiration



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, M/M, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-10-02 09:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10214657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostInAdmiration/pseuds/LostInAdmiration
Summary: Even was a ball of energy and fire - he flipped Isak’s life upside down the moment he came into it, and Eskild watched as Isak’s muscles began to uncoil and his heart started to fill and fill until it was positively overflowing.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a silly little drabble from Eskild's POV, all about Isak and Even's relationship, because I have a lot of feelings about how much Isak and Even care about each other, and I love how Eskild is the caring, overbearing, big brother that Isak never asked for. I haven't written a thing in around two years, so this is basically just a way for me to explore the characters a little bit. Apologies for the rustiness, this is my first go at writing for the Skam universe. (Title from an Ed Sheeran song, because I'm unoriginal and terrible at titles.)

It wasn’t a habit of Eskild’s, to pick up waifs and strays from bars and offer them a safe space and a bed to sleep in after only knowing them for five minutes, but something in Isak’s eyes had made a lump of ice form in Eskild's stomach that he just couldn’t get rid of.  

Isak was insufferable sometimes, he was messy and lazy and it seemed the only two emotions he could show were either grumpy or tired, or an agressive combination of the two. But Eskild saw himself in Isak - saw his teenage self - with tired eyes and a heavy heart and too many secrets to keep track of. Isak had shut himself off, because he had parents who didn’t care and friends that were too oblivious to know that something was going on, so he curled in on himself, and no amount of Eskild’s coaxing could convince him to thaw out.  
There was someone who could though, someone who saw the person inside of Isak, not just the shell he’d so carefully created, someone who made it their mission to chip away at Isak’s walls and help him learn to be alive again.

Eskild could see it, the way that Isak seemed to sort of shimmer around Even. He never knew that Isak, who seemed exhausted after just shuffling into the kitchen to grab a bag of crisps before retreating back to his room, could be so animated. Even was a ball of energy and fire - he flipped Isak’s life upside down the moment he came into it, and Eskild watched as Isak’s muscles began to uncoil and his heart started to fill and fill until it was positively overflowing.

For the first couple of weeks of Even and Isak’s relationship, they’d almost always retreat to Isak’s room the moment Even came over, slamming the door behind them. Eskild would pass and hear music and laughter spilling out from under the door, and every so often he would see Isak sneaking off into the kitchen before retreating back to his room with a pile of food that most certainly wasn’t his, and two bottles of beer - also not his - balanced precariously in the crook of his arm.  Eskild would tease Isak about it: _“We’re very aware of the stupidly handsome man you’re smuggling into your room almost every night Isak, you don’t need to hide him!”_ , but despite his jokes, he understood.  
Isak had been thrown out of the closet by school gossip and bitter girls, and he was still coming to terms with things - still playing catch up. As comfortable as he was with Even, he still wasn’t entirely complacent with people _seeing_ him be comfortable with Even.  Eskild could sympathise - being in love didn’t suddenly cancel out all of the awful things that had no doubt been planted in Isak’s brain over the years, making him believe that who he was, was wrong in some way.  

Still, Eskild couldn’t help but be a little bit proud when Even and Isak started to spend more time with each other outside of Isak’s room, and when Isak stopped looking so guilty whenever they were caught being affectionate. One particularly miserable Saturday morning, Eskild stumbled into the kitchen to find Isak sat on the counter whilst Even was stood by the stove, both of them grinning wildly, and Isak was clutching his stomach as he laughed. Even slid himself over to where Isak was sat, fingers curling around Isak’s hip as he pressed a kiss to his temple, moving down to his cheek, his jaw, his neck, before going back up to his lips as Isak’s fist bunched up in the front of Even’s shirt. Eskild cleared his throat and made a comment about how he hoped they were going to wash down the counter tops after they were done: _“People eat here, you filthy teenagers,”_ he scolded with a sly grin.  
Whilst Isak blushed and stuttered a little as he swore and scowled at Eskild, he made no attempt to move away. Instead, he moved his hand to cup around Even’s neck as Even buried his face in Isak’s shoulder, hiding his laughter.

Isak started to leave his door open whilst Even was round, though Eskild knew better than to think it was an open invitation for anyone to go in (nevertheless, that didn’t stop him - much to Isak’s disdain). Eskild would often pass to see them sprawled across Isak’s bed, Isak on his stomach propped up on his elbows surrounded in his school books, scowling at his laptop, and Even laid on his back, positioned so that his head was beside Isak’s shoulder, long legs dangling off of the end of the bed. Even would have a book or a sketchbook or his phone in hand, and they would both be laid there in a comfortable silence, aside from the occasional grumble from Isak, or quiet word of encouragement from Even.  
Despite the door being open, Eskild always felt as though he was invading on moments like those, like they had made their own bubble of quiet contentment, and it would throw off the balance of the earth if it was popped. 

Isak was a notorious hoodie stealer, as well as being a desperately typical disgusting teenage boy who very rarely washed his clothes, so Eskild knew that when some of his own clothes went missing, they’d no doubt be hidden somewhere in the depths of Isak’s room. One day, he decided to brave it and rescue his poor abused favourite hoodie. He swept into Isak’s room, hands on his hips, ready to battle Isak to the death if needs be to get it back.  The door was open, and Eskild had learnt that Isak was much less grumpy and argumentative when Even was around, which he often used in his favour.  Isak and Even were curled up together, not sleeping, but almost there, with heavy eyelids as they mumbled quietly to each other. Isak had his head on Even’s chest, whilst Even drew big curling patterns across Isak’s back. Even was facing away from Eskild, but Eskild could see the crinkle at the corner of his eye and the curve of his mouth as he watched Isak try desperately to fight the drowsiness enveloping him.  
Eskild chirped a greeting, and Isak jumped and propped himself up to stare at Eskild from over Even’s shoulder. He looked dazed for a few moments, like he’d forgotten he had roommates - like he’d forgotten there were other people on earth entirely, actually. Even sat himself up a little too to look at Eskild, but kept his arm wrapped firmly around Isak’s waist. Isak dropped his head back down heavily onto Even’s chest as he waved his hand dismissively, telling Eskild he could have his stupid hoodie back as long as he could find it in the ever growing mountain of clothes in the corner of his room.   
By the time Eskild had finished fishing through the Everest of laundry piles, Isak had fallen asleep, jaw slack and body limp. He was drooling a little on to Even’s shirt, but Even didn’t seem to mind at all. Even was smiling down at him, his own eyes slipping closed and his head starting to nod as he carried on drawing his fingers slowly up and down Isak’s spine.   
Eskild quickly retreated, giving up trying to find his poor hoodie, but grabbing the first one of Isak’s he found that wasn’t covered in stains as compensation, quietly pulling the door shut behind him as he left.

At the Kosegruppa Christmas party, Eskild hadn’t missed the fact that after spending some time laughing and joking with their friends, Isak and Even had retreated into the kitchen together. Isak’s friends had been wonderfully supportive of Isak, and had accepted Even into their group immediately; but Isak still had a lot of hurdles to overcome, and just because his friends were accepting didn’t mean that all of the anxiety Isak had been holding inside just magically disappeared. Eskild didn’t miss how Isak tensed up a little as Even came over to where he and his friends were, standing behind Isak and hooking his chin over Isak’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around Isak’s waist. Even didn’t miss the tenseness either, and immediately took a step back, smile faltering slightly. But before he could edge too far away, Isak grabbed Even’s hand instead, smiling up at him. They had a silent conversation for a few moments, Even’s eyebrows raised in a question: _is this okay?_  
Isak gave the smallest of nods and gave Even’s hand a squeeze before going back to talking to his friends. Both Even and Isak’s smiles grew that little bit wider.  

After most of the other guest had filed out, once the alcohol had stopped flowing and conversations had ebbed away, it left only Isak’s small group of friends, and Noora’s friends (who by extension, had become Eskild’s friends too, since they were always at his apartment). They were all sat in a groups in the living room, crammed onto couches or sprawled on the floor. Isak was sat on the couch opposite Eskild, arguing animatedly with Sana about something that sounded far too educational for Eskild to listen to. Even was beside Isak, inputting on the argument whenever he could fit a word in - which wasn’t very often, because Sana was getting louder now, trying to push her point across. If Eskild didn’t know her better, he’d think she was angry, but he could see the little curve of her mouth and the way her eyes were shining as she threw her hands in the air and puffed out an exaggerated sigh at Isak’s latest point. Even and Isak were pressed up as close to each other as they could possibly be, without actually being sat on each other’s laps. Even had his arm thrown across the back of the couch, with his hand resting on Isak’s shoulder, drawing little circles into it with his fingertips, and Isak in turn was drumming his fingers on Even’s thigh as he spoke. Even turned himself in his seat to face Isak, and Eskild watched as Even’s face melted into that familiar fondness that washed over him whenever he looked over to the younger boy. Isak was scoffing at something Sana had said, and Even’s smile grew wider as he pressed his face up to the side of Isak’s head and whispered something into his ear. Isak stuttered a little mid sentence before his whole face lit up, eyes bright as he turned to Even and rolled his eyes dramatically, mumbling something back that made Even throw his head back and laugh so loudly it seemed to reverberate around the room. Isak turned back to carry on his argument with Sana, but reached to grab Even’s hand resting on his shoulder so that he could pull him a little closer and twine their fingers together.  Eskild was pretty sure that Sana was winning the argument now, but he was also pretty sure that Isak didn’t care anymore.

It was like they had to be touching at all times; like they were magnets. They would have pinky fingers linked as they sat at the table and ate their meals, Even eventually moving his hand so he could hold ontp Isak’s properly; his thumb brushing across Isak’s pulse point absentmindedly, making the faintest of smiles appear on Isak’s face. When they were sat together, they’d have their ankles crossed with the other’s, Isak’s head on Even’s shoulder, or Evens head resting in Isak’s lap as Isak carded his fingers through Even’s hair, pretending to watch the movie Even insisted he _had_ to see, but spending far too much time smiling down at Even as he talked animatedly about each scene to have any idea what the plot might be.

Eskild could still see the spark of wonder in Isak’s eyes as Even wrapped his arms around Isak’s waist whilst he groggily made them tea on a morning, or pressed a kiss to Isak’s temple before he left for the night, saying something sweet that made Isak’s cheeks flush red. Isak was still discovering this new found excitement of having someone he truly cared about, and who cared about him right back.  
Eskild would never forget the day that Isak brought a girl home. They had stayed in the living room watching a movie, sat as far away from each other as possible, Isak’s body rigid as he stared at the television, pointedly ignoring every glance that came his way. That wasn’t real - it was another part of the fake version of Isak that he had created, he was just ticking off another box he’d thought he had to complete. What he had with Even was raw and very real, and sometimes Isak looked a little overwhelmed by it all. But every smile of Isak’s was replied with an even bigger smile from Even; every time Isak reached out his hand to Even, Even would grab it and hold on tight without question. 

Eskild knew how lonely it was, having to pretend to like people you weren’t actually attracted to. Every touch made your skin crawl, kissing them made your chest feel hollow as you looked them in the eyes and expected to feel some sort of spark or _something_ , any of the things that people told you that you should feel, but all there was, was just a lump that clogged up your throat and made breathing so much harder.  Isak was getting to know what he’d been missing all this time, he was finally getting to feel that heart racing, giddy feeling from being with someone he actually wanted to be with, rather than someone he just thought he had to be with.  
Even looked at Isak like he was a masterpiece, like an unattainable treasure - whenever Isak opened the door to greet Even when he came over to visit, Even’s face would split into the brightest of smiles as he placed his hands on either side of Isak’s face and kissed him till they were both breathless. Eskild made sure to retreat back to his room before either of them noticed he was there, because he didn’t want to be the one to burst their bubble and wipe that look of pure awe off of Isak’s face - chest heaving and eyes glazed over as his mouth curled up into a shy smile before he pulled Even closer once more.

It was the night of the long awaited New Years party, and Eskild was already a little drunk as the first groups of people started to arrive. More people than they’d anticipated had caught news of their get together, and soon their flat was filled from wall to wall with faces that Eskild hardly recognised. He could see Vilde and Eva sat on the table in the kitchen side by side, legs swinging, and Linn sat cross legged on the floor with Noora sat on the couch behind her braiding her hair, with Chris and Sana squashed in beside them, watching people go by, and leaning in to each other every so often to make a comment about the latest arrival to the party. Isak and his group of friends were bunched together in the corner in a small semi circle that kept them in their own little space away from the masses. Isak was laughing about something, something stupid one of his friends - probably Magnus - had said, and Eskild couldn’t help but smile at how relaxed he looked. For all of the time Eskild had known Isak, he always had this permanent tension pouring off his body in waves that he could never quiet shake off. His shoulders had always been up around his ears, a constant wrinkle between his eyebrows that meant the ghost of a frown was always etched on his face. It sometimes reappeared - Isak’s brain was always whirring, creating new problems and things to worry about. But he smiled so much more now, and not just the tight, tense smile Eskild knew so well, actual smiles that made his whole being glow.  
Isak looked up at just the right moment and his face melted into a look that Eskild knew was only reserved for one person. Sure enough, Even passed Eskild soon after, clapping a hand on Eskild’s shoulder as he passed and made a beeline for Isak, who had already shuffled sideways in anticipation to make space in his little group for their new addition. Even greeted the other boy’s with high fives and wide smiles before fitting himself into Isak’s side, Isak snaking his arm around Even’s waist as Even slung his arm around Isak’s shoulders. Isak tipped his chin up to Even at the exact moment Even dipped his head down to kiss him, and Eskild would always be a little bit impressed over how in sync they were, especially considering the relatively small amount of time they’d known each other. 

They just seemed to fall into each other with ease, the other becoming a better version of themselves when they were together, and Isak had certainly become a better version of himself alone too. Before, despite his irritated and apathetic front, he’d just seemed so endlessly sad; his shoulders always hunched and eyes always downcast. Eskild would never be able to get the image out of his head of Isak from the first night he met him - with teary eyes that were framed with dark circles from too many sleepless nights. He had seemed so small, hands curled up into fists as he shook and told Eskild he couldn’t bear to go home, voice cracking and trembling with every word.  It hurt, hiding such a big part of your life; it was a constant burden to carry, that was always looming, threatening to make itself known. Isak had taken his true feelings and squashed them down so deep inside himself that he'd lost his identity, but Even was slowly coaxing them out of him, peeling off the mask the Isak had so carefully constructed to keep himself hidden.  
It wasn’t as though Isak was happy all of the time now - Eskild would never forget the week of hell where Isak had cried so much that Eskild feared it would permanently scald his face. But before, everything Isak did had seemed muted, his smiles were small, voice quiet and crackled. He had been running on empty, all his energy spent pretending. Even when everything was crumbling around him, when Even had an episode and could barely face leaving Isak’s bed, Isak didn’t break under the pressure like he would have before. He had a determination in his eyes that Eskild had never seen, like all the little cracked pieces inside of him had settled into place - he was willing to fight his _and_ Even’s demons, if he needed to.  
Eskild had no idea Isak had the potential to be so _loud_ \- his presence filled the room now, because he stood so much taller, head up instead of staring at the ground, and his smile was so bright that Eskild couldn’t help but smile a little too whenever he saw it. Isak was vibrant and he was real again - Eskild knew how liberating that was, and was so excited to be able to watch Isak come out of his shell more and more. The boy he’d met in a bar seemed worlds away from the one he watched now, all soft around the edges with the brightest of smiles as he kissed Even again and tightened the grip around his waist, ignoring the lighthearted jeering from his friends.

When the countdown to New Year came, along with loud cheering and fireworks erupting overhead, Eskild spotted Isak over Noora’s shoulder as he hugged her and she kissed his cheek. Isak had his arms draped around Even’s neck, whilst Even had his hands settled on Isak’s hips. They had their foreheads pressed together, grinning wildly as Even took a step closer so there was not an inch of space between them. Even rubbed their noses together and lifted a hand to brush his fingers gently across Isak’s cheek, whilst Isak leaned into the touch, eyes fluttering shut.   Eskild tackled Isak into a hug once he’d untangled himself from a very drunken Eva and an equally as drunk Chris, and he squeezed Isak that little bit tighter, pressing a kiss into his hair.  

“This is going to be a good year for you, Isak, I can feel it,” Eskild said quietly, and Isak’s responding laugh vibrated through his bones. Isak squeezed back just as tightly, whispering a _thank you_ into Eskild’s ear, and Eskild knew that thank you had too much weight to it to just be a response to what Eskild had said.

Isak’s grin was blinding as he stepped out of Eskilds arms and was suddenly surrounded by all of his friends, swapping hugs and high fives and kisses. Isak kept his and Even’s fingers linked almost the whole time, and they quickly relaxed back into each other once everyone had settled down, holding each other close and revelling in the joy of the night - the promise of new beginnings. The sad, lonely boy Eskild had found was almost completely gone, lost in kind smiles and sweet kisses and laughter that expelled all of the sadness from the room. It was an uphill battle - he knew that more than most. But Isak had so many good things to look forward to now that he was free from all the secrets he’d carried for so long, and Eskild truly hoped that he realised that.  
  
As Eskild watched Isak pull Even in for another kiss with a bright smile, he was certain that Isak did.  

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
